Risk Assessment

What is risk?

EPA considers risk to be the chance of harmful effects to human health or to ecological systems resulting from exposure to an environmental stressor. See what is risk for more information.

What is a human health risk assessment?

An estimation of the nature and probability of adverse health effects in humans who may be exposed to chemicals in contaminated environments. See human health risk assessment for more information.

What is an ecological risk assessment?

An evaluating of the likelihood that the environment may be impacted as a result of exposure to one or more environmental stressors such as chemicals, land change, disease, invasive species and climate change. See ecological risk assessment for more information.

EPA uses risk assessment to characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans and ecological receptors from chemical contaminants and other stressors that may be present in the environment.